


Girl from the Town by the Grove

by Anonymous



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Bad Wolf, First Meetings, Gen, Possibly Pre-OT3 or Pre-Ship, Time Lords are Fae
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:41:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28022607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: One day Rose meets the Doctor. Though she didn't know it at the time, that would be the day her life changed, for that meeting would soon unlock the magic within her...
Relationships: Jack Harkness & Rose Tyler, Rose Tyler & The Doctor
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4
Collections: anonymous





	Girl from the Town by the Grove

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GoodbyeonBadWolfBay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoodbyeonBadWolfBay/gifts).



Rose, Daughter of the Innkeeper, from the Town by the Woods wherein the Grove is located, was utterly bored with her life. Nineteen years old, and here she was, still just helping her mother maintain the inn. Her life was utterly boring. Day in and day out she saw travelers coming and going, and she was stuck in place. In her ordinary, dull, life. She lived right near a faerie grove, her life shouldn’t be capable of being this dull.

Yet it was. She had neighbors who were fae-touched, ones who could do magic or change their form, or cast spells! The inn had guests who made potions and sold magical equipment, adventurers and salespeople and ambassadors!

But she was just an ordinary, nineteen year old blonde who helped her mother work the inn. She sighed. She wanted to travel, see the world so many of their guests told stories about. But her mother forbid it. She was to stay in the village, find a nice bloke (“What about that Jack?” “Mum, he’s a complete flirt!”), get married, and, eventually, take over the inn herself. 

It had been her father’s inn, originally. But then, one day, he’d disappeared. Rose had only been a baby. So despite hating how protective her mother was, she had to admire her, managing to raise Rose while taking care of the inn. 

Then, one day, a new customer came in. She smiled brightly. “Hello, sir! Are you looking for a meal, to stay the night, or just for directions and such?”

The man ran a hand through already messy brown hair. “Er, yes, well. Food to start with, I think. I’ll be exploring the town, but I don’t know yet if I’ll be staying or travelling through the night.”

“Alright, we have a table there for people to eat at if they don’t want to get a room. ‘fraid the dining hall is also reserved for people with rooms.” She pointed the designated table out, shrugging apologetically. “You’re lucky you came in at a meal time. Though you should know, if you’re from a city, that travelling around here at night is lots more dangerous than in a city. Lots of creatures and the like.”

He grinned, sitting down with a nod. “How much’ll that be? Anyways, don’t worry about me. I’m a born and bred traveller. Not from the city, I know how it is. But if you’re that worried, I’ll stay. At least, assuming the food is good.”

Rose grinned in return. “‘s five coppers, though if you decide to rent a room, the cost is less so we’d retroactively take a bit of the cost out, or give you your next meal for less. My mum is a great cook. Don’t worry about that. Speaking of which, she should be done ‘bout now, so I’ll go help her serve then be back in a tick with your portion, okay?” The man nodded.

Rose helped her mother serve the food, informing her of the potential new customer. Once most of the room had been served, she was told to go back to dealing with the potential new customer.

He handed her the coppers. “So, what can I call you?”

She smiled. “I’m Rose.”

“You can call me the Doctor.” He sniffed his soup before taking a bit of it onto the spoon. He took a vial of clear liquid out of his pocket, and let a drop fall onto the spoon. He stared at it for a few seconds, putting on a pair of glasses. Apparently the lack of... well, anything happening was to his satisfaction, as he then began to eat the soup.

Rose courteously ignored the action, as many customers would either test the food for poison, or, in some cases were addicted to certain substances- or could not eat food that was not specially prepared- such as those who had spent some time in the realm of the fae. “The Doctor isn’t a real name,” she instead pointed out.

“'course it’s not. Why would I give you my real name? You mean to say Rose is your real name?”

“Well...yeah. Not my full one, obviously, I didn’t include my heritage or occupation of my parents, since it’s sorta obvious, but yeah. Why wouldn’t I give you my full name?”

He took his glasses off, then stared at her as though it were obvious. “Because the Lordly Ones, among other creatures, can always use your name against you. A name can control a person or creature, if used properly. You live right near a grove, shouldn’t you know this?”

“The Lordly Ones? Oh, you mean the fae-” He leapt up and covered her mouth. 

“Don’t call them that,” he muttered. “Use any euphemism that you wish, the Kindly Ones, the Good Neighbors, the Lordly Ones, or any other one you can think of, but  **don’t** call them by their name.” Slowly, he removed his hand upon getting a nod from her.

“People do all the time around here,” she objected. “What, you do something to tick them off?”

“They tend to...not look favorably on travelers such as myself. Spent a bit too much time warning people about them and saving people from their kin.” He gave an attempt at a casual shrug, but it was clearly forced. 

“Okay then…” Rose said dubiously. “I’ve never heard anyone call them Lordly Ones though. Most use... one of the other two you said. Or something else.”

“They have lots of names. But I’ll not call them good or kind. They really aren’t.” He frowned darkly, picking up the bowl and drinking from it, clearly ending the conversation. 

“Right then. Let me know if you want a room or not.” Rose walked off.

Though she didn’t know it, soon enough she would count the day she met him as the real beginning of her life.

* * *

The next morning, Rose woke up with a jolt. She bolted out of bed. It smelled as though something was… burning? 

Shit, had mum burnt breakfast? They’d have to give out refunds…

When she left her room, however, it became clear that wasn’t the case. There was a hole in the roof, and smoke was everywhere. She could hear screaming, not only in the inn, but outside of it as well.

She ran out and immediately hoped it was a dream, even knowing it wasn’t. 

Goblins were attacking. Explosions surrounded her, and their cries of “Exterminate!” filled the air. 

The town was being ransacked. She saw her neighbors, fighting goblins with whatever they had. A few had weapons, from days they or a relative had adventured, or simply due to caution, but most were armed with nothing, or simply household equipment-pots and pans and silverware (oh, if only it were actually made of silver, it’d be a much more effective weapon) and the like.

The stranger was fighting too...he seemed to be flinging spells? Of course he was a magic user. That explained so much.

Besides him, Jack seemed to have been targeted as the most dangerous. It made sense, considering he was armed tooth and nail. He was right in front of his house, he’d probably come out to arm everyone. However, while the Doctor still seemed to be holding his own, Jack was surrounded.

Without even thinking, Rose ran towards him. 

Then, he got stabbed. It looked fatal. Or, near his heart anyways. And while she wasn’t a medic- the Doctor. Where was he? Perhaps he could save Jack, if Rose could just get his attention. But the goblins were still advancing.

She screamed. “No! **Stop**!”

She pushed her way through the goblins surrounding him, cradling him in her arms. She held him tightly. She’d known him for years. From when he’d first come to Bad Wolf Inn, to when he’d been here for months and decided to stay, and finally integrated himself and relaxed, evolving into his charming current self.

She didn’t notice how everything had stilled. She didn’t sense the stare of the Doctor. She focused only on Jack.

Slowly, the Doctor approached. “Straight in his heart, definitely fatal,” he muttered.

Rose glared at him. “No! Stop! **Shut up**!”

“That won’t work on me,” he said calmly.

“What? Actually, no, I don’t care, just _stop_.”

They were silent for a few moments. Then Jack sat up. “You- you were dead!” Rose exclaimed.

Jack nodded. “Yeah, think I was. ‘course, probably worth it, if it means I get to wake up in your arms…”

“Don’t even joke about that!”

The Doctor watched silently. Rose turned towards him. “You! Everything was all peaceful and dull before you came along! What’s going on, how is he alive?”

The Doctor’s stare turned from vague disapproval to confusion. “You don’t know?”

It was Rose’s turn to look confused. “Don’t know what?”

“Look around.”

She obeyed. “What? What did you do?”

“Not me-”

“The goblins, then!”

“You.”

“What?”

“You did this, Rose. Not anyone- or any _ thing _ \- else,” the Doctor explained. Rose shook her head in disbelief. Everything was still, frozen, only she, the Doctor, and Jack were moving. Jack looked just as confused as her, blinking as if only just awakened from a stupor as he took in what he’s earlier been unable to.   
  
“There’s no way I-”   
  
“I actually just died, didn’t I?” Jack asked, looking disturbed.

The Doctor’s expression mirrored Jack’s as he nodded. “I’m afraid so…?”   
  
“Jack, Jack Harkness,” Jack greeted, for once without his customary wink.   
  
“You shouldn’t-” the Doctor began, only for Rose to interrupt.   
  
“Is now really the time for you to give him a fa-” The Doctor covered her mouth. 

“Especially now,  _ do not say their names _ ,” he hissed, looking genuinely angry. Rose stayed silent even as he removed his hand from her mouth, heart racing. “Good,” the Doctor said. “I’m sorry, but now of all times you  _ really  _ don’t want to get their attention. They’d blast this village into oblivion if they knew about you…” Rose looked between the Doctor and Jack, unable to hide her fright.

“Okay,” the Doctor said lowly, “Here’s how you stop it-”

“Stop it? No! We should kill all the goblins right now, while they’re defenseless,” Jack insisted.   
  
“We can’t do that, it’ll get the Lordly Ones’ attention. You have the look of a traveler, don’t tell me you don’t know what they’d do for the power she just showed-”   
  
Jack scowled, and Rose looked between the two. “Look, I didn’t do that, I don’t-”   
  
“I think you did, Rosie,” Jack admitted apologetically. “I’ve met my share of mages, in my time. Magic is still radiating off of you.”   
  
“Mages need training! And books! And I’m-”

“Not a mage,” the Doctor murmured. “Something else.” He looked towards Jack. “And you understand why we can’t just kill them.  _ They  _ would be here in seconds. We should undo this and  _ leave. _ ”

Jack frowned, and slowly nodded. “I think you should listen to him, Rose.”   
  
“W-what? Even if this was me, we can’t just let everyone die! Everyone I’ve ever known is here! I-”   
  
“Rose,” Jack interrupted her hurriedly. “My name isn’t Jack Harkness. You may not have had many dealings with the Gentry, but I  _ have _ . They’d destroy your village for that sort of thing. They’re probably taking notice as we speak.”   
  
“No!If I stop it then they’ll die from the goblins!” She turned desperately towards the Doctor. “You know magic. Can you- maybe we can’t kill the goblins, but what if you set up a teleport? Move the villagers? Can you do that?”   
  
The Doctor nodded slowly. “I can.” He walked away and began drawing a circle on the ground. A perfect circle, with no aid. Rose glanced at Jack, who had by now sat up and was removing his shirt, marveling at the lack of wound on his chest. Even the bloodstain was gone, as if it had never happened.   
  
Perhaps three minutes later, the Doctor returned. “It’s ready. Help me move everyone into the circle.”   
  
Rose and Jack hurried to do so. Luckily, even with the occupants of the inn, their village was a small one, and the Doctor moved multiple people at once using magic. Soon, they were all in the circle, and the Doctor murmured some words the Rose forgot the instant she heard them, language refusing to quite stick in her head. Jack looked faintly nauseous. Then they all disappeared in a flash of blue light. Everyone Rose had ever known- her mother, Mickey, old Howard the fruit vendor who her mother sometimes had a flirt with. Vanished before her very eyes.

She looked at the Doctor once more. 

“Hey, Doc?” Jack asked. “Once she stops this- is that it for me?”   
  
The Doctor looked like it took him a few seconds to comprehend the question- or perhaps to realize that Jack meant him, given the nickname. “What?”   
  
“Will I die?” Jack rephrased, and Rose bit her lip, horrified.

Slowly the Doctor shook his head. “No… you don’t need to worry about that. You won’t die.” There was a haunted look in his eyes, one Rose wanted to get to the bottom of. Before she could, however, Jack spoke again. 

“Really? But I thought-”   
  
“First bursts of magic do unusual things. Trust me, I’m a magic-reader. Best of the best. You won’t die.”   
  
Rose sighed in relief, finding herself believing him fully. Jack seemed to as well, judging from the way he relaxed. The Doctor, however, seemed to find no relief in their acceptance of his words.

The next while was a blur to Rose as the Doctor talked her through ending the spell she’d unintentionally cast. Half the instructions seemed to leave her mind before she could understand them, and everything about it  _ hurt _ . The Doctor assured her that it was normal, but this time, Rose didn’t believe him. Jack seemed almost confused by her inability to understand, which only infuriated her. But eventually, the air filled with cries once more- thankfully only “Exterminate!” and none of the human cries there had been before.

The Doctor held out his hand to her. “They’ll come after us, next. As will the Lordly Ones. We’d better run.” Rose took his hand, then with her other took Jack’s, and together they ran, off to meet her destiny.

**Author's Note:**

> L- Happy Birthday, in the making for five years. Every year it gets weirder and weirder to know we're older than Rose, huh? Love you <3 <3 <3
> 
> To all my other readers- a lot of this was written five years ago, so though I tried to polish it, feel free to let me know of any mistakes, or just let me know how you feel about it!


End file.
